Anti-Depressant Brownies

Kree's Note:

Who needs drugs when you have these brownies?! They're so rich and chocolately I would NEVER have guessed they're low fat... but the ingredients don't lie! I've found my new favorite brownie recipe. Be careful, though... just like the drugs, they're habit-forming. I got this recipe from TessLouise on the IBS message boards at www.helpforIBS.com.

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 24

Yield: 1.0 9x13 in ...

• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄3; cup canola oil
• ½ cup boiling water
• 1⁄3; cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large egg whites (or 1/2 cup Egg Beaters)
• 1 1⁄3; cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Spray a 9x13" baking pan with cooking oil and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa and baking soda (I like to sift them together to destroy any lumps in the cocoa).
4. Blend in the oil, and mix until smooth.
5. Pour in the boiling water, stirring until the mixture thickens.
6. Stir in the applesauce, the sugar, and the egg whites; mix until smooth.
7. Add the flour and the vanilla; blend completely- there should be no lumps.
8. Pour into the prepared baking pan.
9. Spread the batter evenly to avoid crispy edges.
10. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes (25-30 minutes if using a Pyrex pan), until just set in the middle.
11. Let cool and cut into squares.
12. Note: I've also halved this and baked it in an 8x8" glass pan and it was done in about 25 minutes.

Reviews

[SamanthaK]

Love these! Because I have such an insatiable sweet tooth - I add cream cheese frosting... so much for healthy!!

[Marie]

Have never tried making anything that substitutes applesauce for the butter or shortening, but these turned out really good. Also, using egg whites only in brownies is a new one for me and it definitely works! I too made only half the recipe. These were delicious and very well may become my favorite brownies. Thanks for posting this recipe, Kree.

[scancan]

These are not at all a fudgy brownie, more like a fudgy chocolate cake but then, I wasn't looking for a fudgy brownie or else I would have just made my The Real Mccoy Brownies. I went looking for this because I wanted two layers of cakey brownie so I could put a layer of marshmallow cream in the center and I frosted it with a good chocolate liquor flavored frosting. OMG amazing! Who would believe these are low-fat? I also added some extra vanilla for a better flavor.